Steps to Getting Started On eBay

Below are the steps to getting set up on eBay.

1. Become a registered eBay seller.

To become a seller, you:

Provide eBay with a valid credit/debit card or bank account information or become ID Verified.

Let us know how you would like to pay your seller fees.
Make sure your Feedback Profile is public.

 Find out how.

2. Sign up to accept electronic payments.

All new sellers must offer at least one electronic payment method allowed by eBay as a payment option. PayPal lets you accept credit card and electronic check payments online from your buyers.

Important: Including PayPal in your listing does not register you for PayPal. You need to sign up for PayPal to be registered for PayPal and receive any payments made to you through PayPal.

3. Research your item and the rules of play.

Do some research, especially about setting a starting price, listing format, and category, to list precisely and get the best price for your item. Compare your item with active and completed listings on eBay based on category, format, and selling price. Buyers feel more compelled to bid and buy when they know the shipping charges beforehand. Package, weigh, and measure your item so you can use calculated shipping. If this is your first time selling an item, you may be required to specify shipping. Educate yourself on eBay's policies about prohibited and restricted items, as well as what's okay and what's not okay when listing and completing the sale.

Depending on your item category and which listing form you use, you'll get a variety of listing options. If you're selling an item associated with a product that's in our catalog, you can add pre-filled item information to your listing description. You can sell your item auction-style or as Buy It Now. Listing upgrades like highlighting, font, and picture enhancements make your item stand out. You can even donate a portion of your sale to a cause that you choose.

5. Manage your listing.

Once you've got your listing up and running, you can check in on it to see how bidding is going. You do this from the Sell section in My eBay, which comes up when you sign into your eBay account. You can also:
Set notification preferences to let eBay know how and when you want to receive alerts or notifications.

Set seller preferences about picture hosting, receiving payments, shipping, and more.
Set member-to-member communication preferences to say how buyers can connect with you.

Set general preferences for searches, My eBay preferences, and more.
If you want to change anything in your listing, see Changing Your Listing at the eBay website.

Be sure to answer any questions you receive about your listing. This will help you sell your item by establishing good rapport with potential buyers. When buyers give you positive Feedback, you become a stronger seller on eBay.
And when your listing ends . . .

6. Wrap up with your buyer.

Here too, how you handle these last steps will go a long way toward your personal satisfaction and getting great feedback from your buyer.

Communicate with your buyer – When you use eBay’s Checkout service and your buyer completes checkout, you’ll be notified by email. If you don't specify shipping and payment details in your listing, the buyer can use Checkout to request this information. You can also use Checkout to send the buyer an invoice.
If you didn't use Checkout, contact the buyer directly by email or phone.
Important: Contact your buyer directly if you haven't heard from your buyer or received Checkout or PayPal notification within three days of your listing's end.
Receive payment – If your buyer paid with PayPal, you'll receive an email confirming payment. If you haven't registered for PayPal, you'll be prompted to register so you can accept the payment.

Ship the item to the buyer – Pack it well! Use bubble wrap or crumpled up newspaper to protect the item from shipping damage. Make sure any fragile parts of the item are well padded and located toward the center of the box if possible.

Leave the buyer feedback – eBay’s Feedback system helps create a trustworthy community for everyone. Your feedback about your buyer is important information for other sellers.

To learn all about selling on eBay, go to the links below:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/sell-getstarted.html

http://www.jennyhow.com/